Pencil sharpener

ABSTRACT

A battery powered pencil sharpener is provided and including a charging receptacle with current source for recharging said battery power source. The pencil sharpener includes a two piece housing rotatably locked together and easily dismantled for maintenance and cleaning.

United States Patent [191 Buc [ PENCIL SHARPENER [76] Inventor: John L. Buc, 144 Third Ave., Des

Plaines, Ill. 60018 [22] Filed: Jan. 10, 1974 211 Appl. No.: 432,249

[52] 11.5. CI 144/285; 145/331 [51] Int. Cl B43i 23/02 [58] Field of Search 145/3.l, .2, .3, .4, .31, 145/.32, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.61, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9;

[56} References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,502,177 3/1950 Sigman 145/331 2,989,947 6/1961 Osmundsen 144/285 1 June 17, 1975 3,004,522 10/1961 Kent 144/285 3,192,378 6/1965 Oldcnburger Dl27,996 7/1941 Harris D61/1 B FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,114,725 10/1961 Germany 144/281 Primary Examiner-Donald G. Kelly Assistant Examiner-Marc R. Davidson Attorney, Agent, or Firr nRichard J. Myers [57] ABSTRACT A battery powered pencil sharpener is provided and including a charging receptacle with current source for recharging-said battery power source. The pencil sharpener includes a two piece housing rotatably locked together and easily dismantled for maintenance and cleaning.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PENCIL SHARPENER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention is directed to pencil sharpeners and in particular to automatic, electrically powered sharpeners.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior battery powered pencil sharpeners such as disclosed in US. Pat. 3,092,081 do not include any provision for recharging the battery power source as would be desirable during overnight periods when the sharpener is not being used. This invention provides a sharpener which may be easily mounted for use such as on a drafting board and electrically powered by a rechargeable battery source.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The sharpener of the present invention is directed to providing a portable device, operating on a rechargeable battery or batteries. The sharpener unit includes a portable sharpener and an associated recharging receptacle. Insertion of a pencil into the sharpener will automatically actuate an electrical switch which energizes a drive motor to thereby rotate cutting means for sharpening a pencil. The sharpener is divided into a top cover portion and a lower or body portion being interconnected by key and locking cutout portions which permit ease of assembly and disassembly of the sharpener for maintenance, cleaning, battery servicing, and inspection. Batteries, drive motor and associated components have been mounted in the lower or base portion to provide a low stabilizing center of gravity for maintaining the sharpener in position during sharpening in the event the attaching clip is not fastened to a fixed member. The drive motor is mounted with a vertically extending drive shaft extending parallel with the axes of power batteries to conserve space thus provid' ing a compact, efficient unit.

Electrical continuity is maintained between the microswitch of the cover unit and the batteries in the lower or body unit through a sliding contact which is part of the cover unit. The sliding contact wipes the associated battery of lower unit as the cover and body portions are being connected. This wiping action cleans the contact surfaces of both the battery and microswitch connected lead to maintain the contacting surfaces free of cut and corrosion and in good electrical contact.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable battery powered pencil sharpener having an associated recharging receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pencil sharpener having an essentially two piece construction interconnected with a twist lock connection thereby providing for ease of disassembly.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a portable battery operated pencil sharpener including a mounting clip attached to the base thereof and adapted to interconnect with an associated clip member for secure attachment, as for example, to a drafting instrument.

These and other objects will become apparent with reference to the following description, appended claims and attached drawings.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of the pencil sharpener mounted on a drafting instrument;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view showing the cover and bottom portions of the sharpener;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross section view of the sharpener;

FIG. 4 is a cross section view taken generally along lines 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded pictorial view of the cover and base portions of the sharpener;

FIG...6 is a view of the sharpener mounting clip portions; and,

FIG. 7 is a pictorial illustration, with portions cut away, of the battery recharging receptacle contemplated for use with the pencil sharpener.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As noticed in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the pencil sharpener 10 is a portable device having a cover portion 12 and a lower or body portion 14. A base or recharging receptacle 16 is also provided for storing and/or recharging batteries contained within the body portion 14. An attaching clip 18 is part of the body portion 14 and is mounted to act in conjunction with an associated clip portion 20 to securely fasten the sharpener unit 10 in a convenient position.

As suggested with this disclosure, the sharpener lb may be mounted on a drafting instrument 22 as generally found on the usual style of drafting board 24, which has a table portion 25 which is mounted for angular movement to a multitude of convenient positions. As with many drafting instruments, there is provided a laterally movable guide 26, which has an attached angle assembly 28, which is disposed for vertical movement along the guide 26. The angle assembly 28 includes protractor gauge portion 30, which allows measured angular movement of the angle assembly 28. This mounting arrangement on a drafting instrument is merely illustrative of only one of numerous ways in which the pencil sharpener unit may be disposed for convenient use and is not to be limited to the mounting arrangement used for example purposes.

The sharpener 10 has a generally hat shaped top cover portion 32, having a centrally positioned opening 34 for insertion of a pencil or other article to be sharpened. Encircling the lower portion of the cover 32 is an annular rim 36 which provides a convenient grasping portion for twisting together or disconnecting the cover 12 and body portion 14. Depending downwardly of the rim 36 is a cylindrical attaching portion 38 adapted to be received in the stepped portion 39 of the lower or body portion 14.

Referring now to FIG. 5, it is noticed that the body 14 has an L-shaped locking tab 40 positioned on the stepped portion 39. Similarly, the cover 12 includes a locking cutout 42, having portions adapted to receive, and securely lock with, the tab 40.

On the underside of the top of cover 12 is a top plate 44 having a concentric groove 45 located vertically in line with the related groove 45a located in the cutting housing 48. Guide bushing 46 fits in the groove portions 45, 45a thereby aligning the openings through which a pencil is inserted. The bushing 46 may be an oil impregnated metallic bearing member, Teflon, or a suitable thermoplastic material such as nylon, Delrin or Celcon, or any other suitable material which will provide dimensional stability and required lubrication properties for smooth running of the blade holding housing 48. The housing ring 46 may also be slightly vertically compressible to compensate for dimensional variations which could occur between the top of shaft 52 and the plate 46.

Housing 48 includes a cone shaped portion 50 into which an article such as a pencil, crayon, or other article is inserted. Cutting blades 51 are mounted adjacent and extend into cutting cone 50 for engagement with the article to be sharpened.

As noticed in FIG. 3, motor drive shaft 52 has a lock ing key 53 for connecting the housing 48 and associated cutters 51 with the drive motor 54. Shaft 52 extends through the cup 55 which is used to collect shavings from an article being cut such as a draftsmans pencil. Cup 55 is fitted about shaft 52 and may include a positioning finger 57 positioned under seal 56 and which functions to prevent rotation of the cup 55. Seal 56 is positioned to be compressed when the top cover 12 is placed on the lower body 14 and twisted into a locked position.

The lower or body portion 14 may include as few as one receptacle for housing batteries 58. The following description will be given with reference to utilization of a single battery 58 and housing positioned in the lower body portion 14; however, it is contemplated that more than a single battery could be utilized depending on power requirements.

The electrical arrangement is as follows. Battery 58 is inserted with the contact button 59 facing down and having a portion extending through and insulated from an opening in the bottom of the battery receptacle. Lead 60 is in electrical contact with the battery contact 59 and the drive motor 54. The motor 54 is also grounded on the lower body portion 14 or by suitable wiring in the event the lower body portion is nonconductive. The bottom portion of the battery is electrically connected to the lead wire 61 which extends to microswitch 62. The switch 62 is grounded to the upper cover portion 12 or in the event the cover 12 is nonconductive, the switch will be wired in series between the battery 58 and the motor 54. Thus, by insertion of an article to be sharpened, such as a draftsmans pencil, microswitch 62 will be closed thus completing the current path between the battery 58 and motor 54. Actuation of motor 54 naturally rotates the blade housing 48 for sharpening.

The charging receptacle provided with the sharpener unit is an open cylindrical member 16 having a recess for receiving the attaching clip 18. When the body 14 is nestled within receptacle 16, the battery contact 59 is to be in contact with the recharging contact 65. The recharging receptacle 16 also includes a suitable contact for providing a ground to the base when recharging to thus complete the path for recharging current from contact 65, through battery 58, into body housing 16 and back into the charging receptacle. Alternating current may be supplied from household current and changed to direct current for battery charging by providing the receptacle 16 with a suitable rectifier circuit and solid state components.

Thus it is noticed that the sharpener of the present invention has provided a compact portable unit which may be attached to a drafting machine for daytime use,

for example, and easily removed for insertion into a recharging receptacle during nightime periods. The two piece construction of the sharpener unit includes a simple, reliable twist-lock which joins upper and lower sections 12, 14. Additionally, the cutter housing 48 is aligned with openings through which a pencil or other article to be sharpened may be inserted by use of a ringshaped bushing which provides both a bearing and an alignment member, between housing 48 and the cover 12.

It is also contemplated that the sharpener be mounted as shown in FIG. 6 wherein attaching clip portions 18, 20 are used. If the clips 18, 20 are not used and the sharpener is placed on a flat conducting surface, current leakage could occur between the battery post 59 and the grounded housing 16. In the event mounting clips 18, 20 are not used a suitable nonconducting cap should be placed over part 59 to prevent inadvertant current loss from the battery 58.

The foregoing description and drawing merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A pencil sharpener adapted to receive a blunted writing instrument and automatically form a sharpened point thereon, and the sharpener includes an electrically powered drive motor and power delivery means for driving said motor and said sharpener having a housing including a cover and a connected body portion, the improvement comprising:

an opening in the cover for insertion of a writing instrument and sharpening means being aligned with said opening, switch means being mounted adjacent said opening and having electrical connecting means coupled with both the power delivery means and the motor, and further, said switch means including sensing means extending into the sharpener for controlling operation of said drive motor, said sharpening means including a cutting head member comprising an outer cylindrical portion and an inner cutting portion including an aperture adapted to receive the writing instrument, a top plate between the cutting head member and said cover, said motor being mounted in said body portion and having a drive shaft coupled to said cutting member, and a ring shaped alignment bushing being positioned in aligned grooves of both the top plate and the cutting head member and thereby providing smooth concentric rotation of said cutting head member.

2. The invention according to claim 1 and said cutting head member including clean-out openings adjacent the cutting blades.

3. The invention according to claim 2 and a shavings cup mounted within said body portion for receiving shavings from said clean-out openings.

4. The invention according to claim 3 and said cup having a portion sleeved over said drive shaft.

5. The invention according to claim 3 and said cup having a positioning finger, and a seal between the cover and finger adapted to be compressed therebetween.

6. The invention according to claim 1 and electrical contact means disposed in said sharpener, and said power delivery means comprising chargeable battery means, said electrical contact means cooperative with said power means for providing selective recharging of said battery means. 

1. A pencil sharpener adapted to receive a blunted writing instrument and automatically form a sharpened point therEon, and the sharpener includes an electrically powered drive motor and power delivery means for driving said motor and said sharpener having a housing including a cover and a connected body portion, the improvement comprising: an opening in the cover for insertion of a writing instrument and sharpening means being aligned with said opening, switch means being mounted adjacent said opening and having electrical connecting means coupled with both the power delivery means and the motor, and further, said switch means including sensing means extending into the sharpener for controlling operation of said drive motor, said sharpening means including a cutting head member comprising an outer cylindrical portion and an inner cutting portion including an aperture adapted to receive the writing instrument, a top plate between the cutting head member and said cover, said motor being mounted in said body portion and having a drive shaft coupled to said cutting member, and a ring shaped alignment bushing being positioned in aligned grooves of both the top plate and the cutting head member and thereby providing smooth concentric rotation of said cutting head member.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 and said cutting head member including clean-out openings adjacent the cutting blades.
 3. The invention according to claim 2 and a shavings cup mounted within said body portion for receiving shavings from said clean-out openings.
 4. The invention according to claim 3 and said cup having a portion sleeved over said drive shaft.
 5. The invention according to claim 3 and said cup having a positioning finger, and a seal between the cover and finger adapted to be compressed therebetween.
 6. The invention according to claim 1 and electrical contact means disposed in said sharpener, and said power delivery means comprising chargeable battery means, said electrical contact means cooperative with said power means for providing selective recharging of said battery means. 